The newly revised Every Child Ready to Read recognizes that play is an important part of early literacy development and if play is a child's work then what better tools than toys! This will be hands-on fun for everyone as you learn the tips and tricks of effectively using toys to educate and entertain in your library and beyond.

The King County Library System, 2011 Library of the Year, adopted a “Future Services Strategy” in 2008 that gave outreach services equal importance with in-library and online services. The strategy required a dramatic shift for staff to focus on out-of-library activities and provide direct service to in-home childcares. The primary service goal is to bridge the gap between low-income children and reading readiness through early literacy. Presenters will discuss why KCLS gave outreach such a prominent role and provide practical information on developing the service; gaining local staff support; service evaluation; and vehicle logistics.

Lori Takeuchi, director of research, at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, will present on the "Families Matter" report issued in June 2011. The report shares results from a survey of more than 800 parents of children ages 3 through 10 and reveals how parents nationwide feel about raising children in a digital age. Lori will share in-depth case studies on how parents' attitudes toward technology, along with family values, routines, and structures, are shaping young children’s experiences using digital media. A brief address from AASL President, Carl A. Harvey II, will precede Lori’s presentation.

A new library service model for children which provides hands on opportunities for science learning for children ages 3-12 in urban public libraries. Science in the stacks is centered around 36 Discovery Exhibits which provide experiential sience learning that is integrated with traditional library resources.

Saturday, June 23 - 11:00am

Juvenile library collections should contain interactive materials related to science. Three years ago Oakland Public Library entered into a partnership with Lawrence Hall of Science to create science kits for libraries. Geared toward grades 1-5 and covering a wide range of topics from bird beaks to oil spills, these kits contained: an age-appropriate book, an experiment journal which users kept, detailed instruction sheets outlining the experiment, any needed scientific aids, e.g. a magnifying glass, and a free pass to the museum so that participants could further explore science. Oakland Public Library created and included in the kits a bibliography of other recommended titles that children could check out. An annual science festival was created at each participating library to introduce the kits and spur interest. Evaluation and measurement of this project was accomplished by tracking usage of kits and participation at science festivals. Kit users, festival participants, and library staff were interviewed and asked to fill out written questionnaires. Session participants will bring kits for examination and will set up one or two experiments from the kits which attendees can try. Photos of past science festivals and evaluation data will be available on the posters and in electronic formats.

Saturday, June 23 - 1:00pm

Lego programs have been springing up in children's libraries and have proved to be an effective way to blend a hands-on play with literacy. The type of play that Lego inspires is linked to many of the same kinds of skills needed to build literacy/reading ability. Lego programs can be adapted to almost any library space or schedule and are great ways to meet new families, especially those with children who are reluctant readers. Also, Lego's current popularity in children's publishing (mainly early readers) makes it extremely easy to connect the playtime aspect of Lego programs to your book collection. Also, libraries can promote the value of open-ended and often cooperative play, all while encouraging spatial, sequential, and problem-solving skills. Lego programs at the Vancouver Public Library, and many other sites across North America, have proven to be a great addition to school-age programs, making the library a favorite destination for a diverse range of kids week after week. This poster session will provide visitors with a solid rationale for providing Legos in the library, as well as ideas about how to acquire Legos, program planning ideas, booklists, and great pictures. Get building!

The Los Angeles Public Library's Reading Readiness Plan tasks library staff with empowering parents, caregivers, and teachers to build a literate Los Angeles. In response, librarians are partnering with schools, early education centers, and other community groups to offer Every Child Ready to Read @ your library workshops in their neighborhoods. LAPL has evaluated workshops in six communities using surveys, focus groups, and observation. As a result, the most successful formats and techniques are being codified and implemented in communities across the city. Our poster will describe our successes and the lessons we have learned. We will discuss our most successful workshop techniques and methods of evaluation. And we will demonstrate the impact that Every Child Ready to Read @ your library workshops are having in Los Angeles.

Librarians and journalists can work together more effectively to contribute and create value added content to our community. Both thrive on the same mission of providing information to the masses, as well as preserving the history of their communities. This can be done by showing our communities how to make and preserve their own news, build and create community histories and provide access to information in a timely fashion without compromising integrity and validity of the content important to communities at hand.

This program will present information on using the updated ECRR toolkit. Topics will include: parent tip sheets, childcare provider classes, staff training, serving children with special needs, tracking children's skills, and more!

Start school with new booktalks and activities for this year’s hottest nonfiction books. Twelve authors will booktalk their new 2012 nonfiction books for elementary school, middle school, and high school readers. Find out the story behind each book and take home booktalks and activities for your library. Moderated by Booklist Quick Tips for Schools & Libraries columnist Anastasia Suen.